Mod High
by Moonlit Shadow Dancer
Summary: Mad Mod steals the Titans and enrolls them in is school. The catch? The Teen Titans don't know they've been placed in an alternate world. They don't remember anything about being on a team. They don't even remember they have powers. Will fate bring them together again, or will Jump City be forever without their heroes? (bbrae, robstar, cybee, flinx)
1. A Day Off

The world was quiet and peaceful as the citizens of Jump City enjoyed the crisp autumn night. The moon was high in the night sky. A gentle breeze eased the waves along the shore and back again. Everything was serene, a perfect night, so it seemed.

In a large mansion a man with bright red hair was diligently concocting an unknown substance. He reached to and fro grasping multiple chemicals and brewing them together.

"Yes!" He exclaimed in a thick British accent. "Yes, my little Duckies will love this!"

He pushed his wire-rimmed bifocals up the bridge of his nose, laughing menacingly.

The man aligned the products of his experimentations into a row. A ding in the background brought an even broader smile to his lips. He slipped on his British Flag oven mitts and opened the oven revealing five cupcakes baked to perfection.

"Lovely, just lovely!" he cheered.

He picked up one and applied a generous amount of blue frosting on top. He continued this task, bestowing a different color to each cupcake, the first blue, followed by green, purple, and orange. He smiled as he picked up the final cupcake. With an extra generous layer of icing, he applied the red frosting.

"It's high time someone teaches you sprogs a lesson. This time, I won't lose!"

* * *

Within the hour of the sun's arrival, all of the Titan's were assembled and awaiting their leader's announcement. Beast Boy yawned noisily and swayed back and forth as he waited with the group. Raven leaned against the couch with her arms folded and hood up. Cyborg was watching Beast Boy swaying dangerously close to Raven, unsure if he should save his friend or watch the comedic scene unfold. With one last sway, Beast Boy fell over just as Raven took a step forward. The poor green Titan fell on the floor noisily.

"OW!" Beast Boy yelped and jumped off the ground. "Dude, why didn't you catch me?!"

Raven shrugged in response, irritating the changeling even further.

"Man, you shoulda seen your face!" Cyborg laughed.

"Not cool, dude! You knew that was gonna happen, didn't you?"

"Maybe," Cyborg smirked.

"Titans, I bet you are all wondering why I called you here this morning," Robin entered the room with Starfire by his side.

"Uh, guys?" Robin raised an eyebrow at the scene of Beast Boy charging at his best friend, fists flailing as Cyborg put out his hand against Beast Boy's head to keep him at a distance while Raven watched impassively.

"Friends!" Starfire exclaimed, "We mustn't fight each other!"

"Cyborg started it!" Beast Boy shouted.

"Did not!" he retaliated.

"You guys are so immature." Raven sighed.

"You're the one that let me fall!"

"Titans!" Robin intervened, "That's enough. We are all friends here, so let's just try to get along, alright?"

"Fine," the three said in unison.

"Right. Now, like I was saying, the reason I called this meeting was to discuss a letter I received from the mayor." Robin smirked. "It seems that we have been doing such an excellent job in Jump City, she would like to reward us with a day off."

"Oh, how joyous!" Starfire beamed.

"So, lemme get this straight," Cyborg spoke, "You got us out here at six in the morning to tell us we don't even gotta work today?"

"You know what this means," Beast Boy grinned mischievously at Cyborg.

"PAYBACK!" They bellowed together as they chased after their leader.

"Wait, guys! No, stop! Stop! Anything but that! Not the stink ball! NO!"

Starfire and Raven watched as Cyborg pinned Robin to the floor, and Beast Boy hurled the stink ball at him.

"Ooh," the girls flinched as it hit him in the face.

* * *

An hour later the Titans gathered back into the living room for some well deserved relaxation. Starfire and Robin were chatting about options for the date they had been putting off since they returned from Tokyo nearly two months ago. Cyborg and Beast Boy were finally able to play the new video game they had been saving for a day like this one. Raven decided to join them on the couch to read her favorite book for the umpteenth time.

"C'mon, Rae, it's not that hard, all ya do is push the bottons." Beast Boy pleaded.

Before Raven could decline again, she heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get that." She said as she began phasing through a portal she manifested.

Beast Boy groaned and focused back on the giant HD TV.

"Man, you so want her," Cyborg teased.

"What?!" Beast Boy blushed. "I do not. I just want her to play, that's all."

"Mhmm. So why don't cha ask Star to play, huh?"

Beast Boy's face burned with embarrassment.

"I, just, uh…Well, I mean…" Beast Boy fumbled over his words

"Just admit it."

"Admit what?" Raven asked as she joined them back on the couch.

"Nothing!" Beast Boy shouted. "What's that you got there, Rae?"

"I'm not really sure. It's addressed to all of us, so I brought it in here for everyone to open," Raven explained. "And it's Ra _ven_."

"Whatever you say, _Rae_ ," Beast Boy smirked.

"Don't call me that," she warned.

"Make me," he challenged.

"Maybe I will."

Raven leaned in closer to him, making his face flare up a brilliant red.

"So are we gonna open this or not?" Cyborg interrupted.

"Sure," Raven lifted up her hood so they wouldn't notice the small blush that had been forming on her cheeks.

Starfire floated over to them, Robin not far behind. All of them surrounded the cream colored box wrapped with brown twine. Robin removed the string and lifted off the top. Inside was an assortment of cupcakes, neatly arranged with a name in front of the holder it was placed in.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy smiled, picking up the green one.

"Why would someone make us cupcakes?" Raven questioned.

"Maybe the Mayor sent them?" Cyborg suggested.

"Whoever made them, they taste great!" Beast Boy exclaimed through a mouthful.

The rest of the Titans froze, watching as he devoured it.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, he didn't die." Raven said, picking up the purple one beside the now vacant holder.

The other Titans followed suit and ate their given dessert.

"Man, BB was right! Those were good!" Cyborg leaned back in his seat.

With each Titan's stomach feeling satisfied, one by one they began to yawn.

"It looks like class is about to be in session!" Mad Mod smirked as he watched each Titan falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Time to get crackin on this alternate universe shiz.

From this point on, the story will be told from Raven's POV or third person, all knowing. Basically, I'm God O.O jk…I'm sorry I'm going on about three hours of sleep.


	2. Mod High for Model Students

"Hurry up, dear or you'll be late!" I heard my step-mother calling to me from down stairs.

With a sigh I tossed the covers off of me and walked over to my closet. I grabbed a deep blue scoop neck blouse and a pair of black jeans along with my yellow belt with small ruby studs and began getting ready for the day. It was the first day of my last year of high school, and I couldn't be more eager to be out of here.

After I finally brushed out the last knot in my long black waves, I joined my mom and brothers down stairs. My three brothers, Jared, Jesse, and Jacob, looked at me in unison.

"Would you look at that," Jared mocked, "Rachel actually looks like a girl today!"

Jesse and Jacob laughed, and I merely rolled my eyes. None of them were my full brothers. They were my father's and Nicolette's children. My mom had left me with the brats and that brute I have to call 'Father' long ago. Nicolette wasn't bad, but she could hardly control those three for more than ten minutes tops.

"Now, boys," She gently scolded, "Be nice to your sister."

"Whatever," Jared groaned.

I was glad they were still in Junior High so I wouldn't have to deal with them outside of the house. Soon I'd be off to any college I wanted, which would be the farthest from Jump City.

"Oh, would you look at the time." Nicolette smiled. "You better get going, Rachel. You don't want to be late on your first day!"

I smiled as she handed me a black lunch box with azure designs on it.

"Thanks, Nicolette," I waved as I left the kitchen. I slipped on my blue flats and began the short walk to Mod's High School for Model Students. Even though I had been attending the school for three years prior, I still thought the name was rather odd. The massive building came into sight, its brilliant cream bricks standing out against perfectly trimmed green lawn and deep grey of the sidewalk.

"Is that Rachel Roth I see?" I flinched at the sound of that voice.

God, why did it have to be her of all people? I turned and smiled awkwardly at a group of girls each carrying caramel frappes. The _popular_ girls if you prefer them to have a title.

There was a tall girl with her hair dyed a bright pink with contacts to match. That was Jinx. A much shorter girl with long blonde hair and a pink headband smirked, her blue eyes glittering. She went by Kitten. Of course, Jinx and Kitten weren't their real names, but they absolutely insist on being called that and won't respond to any other name, though I have a few _better_ choices for them.

Then there was the girl always at center stage. Her hair was a deep blonde, tied back into a long ponytail with a few strands left to frame her delicate features. Her light blue eyes sparkled as she anticipated making my life as miserable as possible before we all moved on with our lives. Her name was Terra.

"Oh, it _is_ you!" She exclaimed. "I almost didn't recognize you. Decided to start dressing like a girl these days?"

Her lackeys laughed in unison at her joke.

"Good one," Jinx smirked.

"Yeah, Terra, that was, like, perfect!" Kitten purred.

"Funny," I growled, "My brother said the exact same thing this morning. He's thirteen."

"Oh, looks like Rae-Rae is finally getting a backbone." Terra frowned. "You better watch it, or your life really won't be worth living."

"Now you're threatening me?" I feigned shock. "And here I thought we were such good friends."

One that note, I turned on my heels, hoping to avoid anymore drama before I even entered first period.

"Wait, Rachel," Terra stopped me. "You forgot something."

"What?" I turned.

Within seconds my shirt was doused in a cold sticky mixture of coffee, whipped cream, and caramel. Tears swelled up in my eyes, but I wasn't about to let her see me cry. Instead I scooped up a decently sized glob of whip cream from my chest and hurled it at her perfectly fixed hair. I didn't stick around long enough to see of the projectile landed on target.

As I rushed into the doors of the building, I nearly collided with a guy from my grade. Gerald? No. Gar…Gar…Gar-something, I couldn't remember as of this moment. My one goal was to make it to the restroom before the first bell so I could clean up some.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" he joked, flashing a brilliant smile.

My face warmed up completely as his lively blue eyes met mine.

"I, um," I stuttered, trying to get past him. "I need to get by. Now."

"A simple 'please' would be nice."

"Get out of my way, _please,_ " I clenched my jaw.

He lowered his gaze to evaluate me. I was sure my entire body was red from embarrassment and now, anger. Was this guy seriously checking me out right now? Then I remembered the coffee spread all over my shirt, and the whipped cream now slipping into unmentionable places.

"Come on," the boy grabbed hand and pulled me into the building towards the gym.

"Let me go!" I demanded.

"What do you plan on doing? Try to get the coffee off your shirt in eight minutes? You need a new shirt, and unless you have one with you, you'll come with me to the locker room. I have a spare I was going to use during today's workout, but I think you need it more than I will."

He let go of my hand, letting me fall into step at his side. I peeked up at him from underneath the thick bangs of my black hair. He tilted his head down to look at me, blonde bangs falling over his eyes. He smiled when he noticed me staring. My sight diverted from him and fell to the floor until we made it to the oversized gymnasium. We walked along the bleachers towards the locker rooms in the back.

"Let me make sure no one is in there first," he said.

I watched him vanish into the doors, suddenly becoming more aware of my situation. If no one was in that room, then that would mean no one would be in there to hear me scream. This guy could be a total psychopath, and here I am, willingly about to enter a locker room with him? I must be insane. Completely insane. I could still leave, and maybe get a little bit of the coffee out...

"It's all clear," the blonde poked his head out of the door. He stepped aside, holding the door open for me to enter. He grinned broadly as I passed. Something about that smile dissolved all my worries. It made me feel sufficiently reassured that I wasn't going to die. And if I did, at least I would be murdered by someone who was somewhat attractive. He immediately walked over to his locker and began entering the code for it. With a satisfying click, he reached into the locker to pull out a 'Pierce the Veil' t-shirt.

"Thank you," I blushed, hiding behind my bangs.

I opened up one of the stalls and removed the ruined blouse. With some toilet paper I wiped off the remainder of whipped cream on my skin, then pulled over the clean shirt. It felt great not to completely sticky with caramel and to finally be rid of that horrible coffee smell. I opened the door to see the boy still waiting for me by his locker.

"That shirt looks better on you than it does on me," he complemented.

"T-thanks," I crossed my arms across my chest. "Thank you, for everything."

"It's no problem." He smiled excessively. "I'm Garfield by the way,"

"My name is Rachel," I said formally.

"I know who you are," he laughed. "You're number one in our class, you're, like, the smartest girl in school. Everyone knows who you are."

He spoke with so much sincerity I didn't know how to respond back. So I fell back into an old habit of uncouthness.

"They know my name, nothing more." I spoke matter-of-factly.

Garfield's smile melted away, and his eyes widened. "I didn't mean-"

"Whatever, thanks for the shirt. I'll return it to you as soon as possible."

Even as the words were leaving my lips I regretted them. I wanted to scoop them back into my mouth, away from his ears, but no amount of wishing would make that happen. So I made a beeline for the door and didn't look back.

Just as I was about to pull the handle, Garfield came running after me.

"Wait, Rae," he called. "I didn't mean to offend you, I mean, I like you, so I wouldn't-"

"You don't know the first thing about me." I snapped.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to," he muttered, tilting his head down and looking at me with sad puppy dog eyes.

Something in the distance popped with a loud crash. Both of us looked towards the lockers, clearly wondering what could have made the noise when we were the only two in here.

"Heh," he laughed, "Maybe they got new bells?"

I opened my mouth to say something about how unlikely that was, when the doors opened, revealing a rather large and angry looking man we called Coach Henderson.

"Sup, Coach," Garfield smiled and laughed nervously. "How's it going?"

"I could ask you the same thing Logan. What are you thinking bringing a girl into the _boy's_ locker room, huh? That's right, I _know_ what you were thinking! To the principal's office, both of you!"

I couldn't believe it. The first day of my final year in the torture zone and I've already had coffee deliberately poured on me and now I am being sent to the principal's office. That's a place I only went when I was getting some sort of award for some sort of academic or musical achievement! I felt something surge within me, and another large crash resonated from the opposite side of the locker room, where the weight room was.

"Great Gatsby! What's going on back there?" the coach pushed us aside and made his way to the weight room and we followed.

He opened the door to reveal two other boys, both in my grade as well. I knew the first one well enough. I mean, we'd worked on a few projects together in the past. He was a tall well-built guy, with his athletic skills only matched by his uncanny ability to solve any scientific problem in a matter of minutes. He was better known as the quarter back, Victor Stone. Last year he had a really bad accident causing him to lose his arm, but his parents had managed to build him a robotic replacement that I had to admit, looked pretty amazing.

The other one was much smaller in stature, but no one doubted his black belt karate skills. He was also the most sought after male in school. A regular heartthrob, if you will. Every girl wanted him, especially Kitten. It was pathetic really. Any time he walks by she does everything but strip to get his attention. Although I heard there was this one time at a party where she was a little too drunk and-

"Victor Stone! Richard Grayson! What is the meaning of this! You two are making a mess out of my weight room!"

"But, Coach, we weren't even on that side of the room! Victor was spotting me when the equipment just…"

"Just what, huh? Just exploded like nothing! Equipment doesn't just go BOOM willy nilly!"

"Well, no, but maybe there was too much weight and the boards decided to collapse." Victor offered.

"You think I'm stupid, Stone?"

"No, sir!" he responded quickly.

"The two of you will be accompanying Logan and, uh," he faltered as he struggled to remember my name.

I had half a mind to tell him I was Terra so the 'Warden' would think I was sent by mistake. But I knew I wouldn't be able to pull that off, so I told him the truth.

"Rachel Roth."

"Yes, yes. The two of you will be accompanying Logan and Ms. Roth here to the office."

Victor and Richard eyed the two of us suspiciously, most likely coming up with various ideas as to why Garfield and I were also receiving detention. I crossed my arms across my chest tightly and fell slightly behind Garfield to avoid their gaze.

"What are you all waiting for, an invitation? Get to the office now!"

"Yes, sir!" we all yelped before filing out of the gym and marching straight towards the office.

* * *

Ooh, the Titans are on the other side of the law now!  
We've got the introvert, the mean girls, the jokester, the smart jock & the heartthrob.  
Now all we need is the lovable foreigner, and I bet you know who that is! ;P hehe  
Have any of you guys ever been sent to the office or are you too smart to be caught?

R&R Please!  
=^.^=


	3. The Exchange Student

"I am very disappointed in all of you." Mr. Bastelli chided. "Especially you, Ms. Roth. You are the best model student we have had since the founding of Mod High. I'll let you off with a warning this time."

"But, Sir," I spoke, barely audible. "It wouldn't be fair for Garfield to receive detention when he wouldn't have been in the locker rooms if he weren't helping me. In fact, none of us would be here if it weren't for me. I don't deserve to be let off easy if they are all getting punished."

Mr. Bastelli stared at me in disbelief. The rest of the group shared similar expressions as I willingly accepted a week of lunch detention and after school D-hall.

"This type of thing won't disappear from you records. You realize that, Ms. Roth?"

"Y-yes, sir. I understand." I added, "But that won't make me change my decision."

"Very well. The four of you get to class, and don't forget to sit at the table by the entrance of the cafeteria. You won't be able to have off-campus lunch this first week."

We each accepted our punishment and made our way to our first class, Victor and Richard going one way, Garfield and I walking the opposite direction.

"That was a really cool thing you did back there," Garfield stated.

"I wouldn't let you guys take the fall for something that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been soaked in coffee."

He laughed loudly. I wasn't sure if it was because he was picturing me with coffee all over again or because the situation seemed a bit ironic. I was the 'model' student, but if it weren't for me, no one would be in trouble. We continued on in silence, before Garfield spoke again.

"So, what's your first class?"

"Band," I answered.

"Really? What do you play?"

"Flute."

"That's awesome. I have art, so I'm right across from you," he smiled.

"Cool…" I responded awkwardly.

The longest I usually spoke at school was during presentations. Having Garfield continuously talking to me and asking questions was leaving me feeling exhausted and uncomfortable. Yet I didn't really mind his company. I looked up to see him watching me again with a ridiculous smile plastered onto his face.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "You're just even prettier up close."

I felt my face heat up at the complement. My bangs fell forward as I began watching the ground before me. Luckily, we reached the large double doors of the Band Hall.

"So, I'll see you around?" Garfield asked.

I took note of the slight redness of his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes as he asked the question. I bit my lower lip and looked at the doors.

"Sure," I finally said.

"Great!" he smiled. "See ya, Rae!"

After a long, detailed explanation to the Director, he finally accepted my tardiness and allowed me to take my seat at the second chair in the flute section. First chair belonged to Terra, though she rarely showed up to class. I couldn't say I was too torn up by her absence. When she was here she never let me forget I was second best. What she didn't know was that I deliberately messed up on one note during our chair tests so I wouldn't have to play solos during contest. The spotlight was _not_ where I wanted to be.

As I put my instrument together the director proceeded with the warm-up. I was about to join in when a new girl opened the doors and walked into the room. She approached the director with a note in her hand. She was very pretty, with long red hair that ended just above her waist, and tanned skin. Her eyes were a brilliant green and shined with innocence.

"My name is Kori Anderson," I heard her say. "It is a pleasure to be in your country."

I figured she must be this year's foreign exchange student, because her English was precise and somewhat forced.

"What instrument do you play?"

She responded with some ludicrous name before clarifying it was the equivalent of a tuba.

"Very well," the director walked over to the back of the room and picked up the large brass instrument of the wall. "Here, you can use the school's tuba while you are here. And Kori?"

"Yes, ma'am," she smiled politely.

"Tardiness is unacceptable at this school. You will be receiving lunch detention all this week."

"I apologize, Ms. Rouge, but it was not my fault. You see there were these girls and-"  
"And you will also be having after school D-hall. No excuses. You are responsible for you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." She responded quickly.

It appears all the teachers are in a bad mood this year. I couldn't believe Ms. Rouge wouldn't let her off without at least a warning.

"Rachel, why aren't you playing?"

"Sorry!" I lifted my flute and jumped into the remainder of the warm-up.

Band went fairly smooth after that. There wasn't any more drama except for when the first chair trumpet tossed a hacky sack into one of the Baritones bells. I went through history, Spanish, English, and Calculus without any problems. I was grateful I didn't have Terra in any of my other classes so far. I did have Victor in History and Richard in Calculus though. Neither of them seemed too upset about receiving detention or to blame me at all. I was down to one more class before Lunch: Choir. If there were to be a time for me to run into Terra this would be the one.

I entered the doors and spotted a massive group surrounding a single person. All I could see was the bright shine of red, but I could tell it was Kori. She definitely was attracting friends quickly, which was expected from a girl as new and foreign as her. But she seemed to be uncomfortable with all the fussing over her. I heard a person ask her to sing a song from her country, which she obliged without hesitation. Before she even began, a bad feeling began to swell up inside me. My hands automatically flew up to my ears just as she began wailing in a foreign language. My peers reacted the same way only seconds after.

After ten minutes had passed, Mrs. Loesch stopped her.

"That was," she paused. "Lovely…Ms. Anderson, please take a seat in the alto section next to Ms. Roth"

She smiled at me, sending a silent plea my way to help Kori blend in with the group.

"Hi, I'm Rachel," I introduced myself and smiled slightly.

"My name is Kori," she grinned, "it is a pleasure to be acquainted with you."

I laughed, "The phrase is actually 'pleasure to make your acquaintance'. To which I say, likewise."

Kori's smile turned sheepish as she said, "Thank you for not doing the 'judging' of my English. Many of your country's phrases are still new to me, and I am not sure how I will fit in."

"No problem. I know what it's like not to fit in."

"Were you not 'hanging out' with a group of boys before school? Are they not your friends?"

"No," I answered. "Well, I guess one of them might be."

"You do not know for certain?"

"It's…complicated," I concluded.

"What is complicated about friendship?" She added blatantly, "You either enjoy one's company or you do not."

"Maybe it was that easy were you were from, Star," I halted. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I called you that."

"No need to apologize," she smiled, "In my language 'Kori' does translate to 'Star'."

Even though she had shed a little light on my mistake, it still didn't make sense that I would call her Star. Even if I had stumbled across the language, I couldn't fathom how a single word from her language would stick with me, especially her name. I had only just met her today.

"Is something troubling you, friend?" Kori questioned.

"No, it's nothing," I lied. "I'm just thinking about next period."

"Is next period not the class we are able to feast in?"

"Yeah, lunch is next. But I have lunch detention with those guys I was with this morning. Didn't Ms. Rouge give you detention also?"

"Oh, yes." Kori frowned. "I am still uncertain what this 'detention' is, nor do I understand what I did to deserve it."

"Well, it's punishment for doing something against school rules. You were twenty minutes late to class, which made Ms. Rouge very unhappy."

"Oh, I think I understand now. May I ask what you have done to deserve 'punishment'?"

"There was a…an incident with this girl I know."

Kori watched me intently before asking, "Was this girl's name Terra?"

"Yes," I paused. "Do you know her?"

" _She_ is the reason I was late today. I witnessed the incident you speak of in front of the school this morning. She approached me seeking companionship. When I was not quick to accept her invitation to her group, she sent me to the opposite end of the school in search of the music room."

"Typical Terra," I groaned.

"Yes, she is most unbearable." She nodded. "But I still do not understand why you would be punished for being viciously attacked by that mean girl."

"It wasn't that…Garfield, the tall blonde boy, saw that I needed a new shirt, so he let me borrow his. We went to the locker room so he could get it and I could change, and the Coach walked in, and well…"

"Please, you and this Garfield person are involved with each other, are you not?"  
"What?" I blushed intensely. "No, he was just helping me out."

"But you wish to be involved with him?" she egged on.

"N-no," I shook my head. "I hardly know the guy."

"Why would he help out someone he did not care for?" she smirked.

"He's just," I thought for a moment before concluding, "nice."

"Very well," she shrugged. "What of the other two?"

"You mean Richard and Victor? They are both members of the athletic program. Their main focus here is to enhance their fighting styles to be in the criminal justice branch once they graduate."

"That sounds most interesting!"

"I guess," I sighed. "Richard is already ahead of the game. He's been working with his uncle in his detective practices."

Kori's eyes lit up at the name, her head tilted towards me anticipating more information. "Was he the dark haired one wearing those sunglasses?"

"He never takes them off," I confirmed.

"He is quite handsome," Kori giggled.

It figures she would be yet another victim to Richard's mysterious charm. The only difference is that I actually like Kori as opposed to all the other girls that are continuously throwing themselves at him.

"I guess he's okay," I admit. "He's not really my type."

Kori furrowed her eye brows.

"Type? Do you mean blood type?"

It took a lot of control for me not to actually laugh at her question. I bit my lip until I drew blood. I took a deep breath to regain my composure and corrected her.

"Not being someone's 'type' is like saying they aren't attracted to his or her personality. Richard is a nice guy, don't get me wrong. Just not someone I would want to have something more with."

"You would prefer someone more like Garfield?"

"Ye-I mean, no." I rubbed my dimples as if to stop my growing headache in it's tracks.

Thankfully class was about to be over. I'd never talked so much in my life, but Kori didn't seem like she minded chatting at all. In fact she seemed more comfortable with English than I did. We continued talking about her home country and the differences between ours and hers. She still wouldn't drop the fact that Garfield seemed _'heels over head'_ in love with me. Or that she was nervous about actually getting to sit with Richard during lunch. I had never seen someone so excited about lunch detention.


	4. Memories

Once the bell rang, Kori and I walked together to the cafeteria. Kori had to wait in line to get her lunch, so I was left alone at the table for a few moments. I relished in the silence, or what silence one can find in a noisy school cafeteria. I pulled out the lunch Nicolette had packed for me and began arranging it neatly in front of me. I was just about to take a bite out of the beautifully made sandwich when the hair on the nape of my neck stood on end. A strange sensation swelled up in the pit of my stomach. I tensed my shoulders at the feeling overwhelming me before turning around quickly, nearly knocking over the chair as I stood up.

"Whoa, chill, Rae," Garfield laughed. "It's just me."

He readjusted the chair and gestured for me to sit. I silently sat back down muttering an apology.

"C'mon," he smiled, "I should be apologizing to you. I clearly freaked you out."

"You didn't _freak me out_ …you only startled me."

"Hey, that's basically the same thing," he joked.

"Not entirely," I insisted. "And don't call me 'Rae'"

He gave a short chuckle before opening the sack lunch he had brought along with him. I watched as he pulled out an assortment of vegetables and some sort of burger with odd looking meat. He caught me observing his food and seemed to be reading my thoughts.

"I'm a vegetarian," he grinned, "this is tofu, my life's source."

"Um…It looks…good?"

"Wanna try?"

I don't know what possessed me, but I accepted his offer. He brought the burger up to my lips. I hesitated, uncertain if I should grab the burger out of his hands or take a bite right on the spot. I decided not to think about it and take a small nibble as he held it out to me. I only gagged a little bit, but he started laughing like crazy.

"Not everyone can handle its awesomeness," he smirked.

I quickly reached for my tea, chugging down about half of the thermos in two seconds flat. If that's what he calls awesome, I don't want to know what he considers bad.

"So Rachel Roth and Garfield Logan really _are_ a thing now?" Richard asked as he approached the table with a tray in his hands and a smirk on his lips.

I knew that he was only joking, but the comment still made my face heat up in no time. Garfield ignored him and jerked his head towards the door.

"If anyone's a 'thing' it'd be Victor and Karen over there," he scoffed.

I looked up just in time to see Victor walking in with a girl glued to his hip. He gave her a hug before leaving to our table without anything except a large container of water.

"Sup, guys," Victor grinned.

"Someone looks happy," Richard noted.

"I have the one of the smartest, most awesome girls at school for a girlfriend," his smile broadened, "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"Because Coach has us running lines on the football field today as extra punishment," Richard reminded him.

I pretty much tuned them out after that. My eyes drifted towards Garfield. He had long ago devoured his tofu burger. He wasn't really paying attention to anything else except for the food in front of him. Victor and Richard where still discussing the tortures of being in athletics. It looked like their disdain for the coach was really intense. With neither the jocks nor Garfield paying any mind to me, I felt a sense of normalcy returning.

I smiled internally as I reached into my backpack to pull out a book. I opened it and began reading where I had left off. I had barely finished the first sentence when I felt like someone was watching me. It wasn't the feeling of eyes upon me that sent a tingle down my spine. It was the uncomfortable amount of emotions that stirred within me. What made me even more uneasy was the fact that they weren't my emotions. I chanced a sideways glance in Garfield's direction, only to see his retreating eyes. A splash of deep red tinged the bridge of his nose, sending a sensation of anxiety my way. He quickly picked up a carrot and nibbled on it, looking anywhere but in my direction. I decided to brush it off and continue reading.

 _'_ _The dark cloud hung over the entirety of the earth. Molted black feathers cascaded from the heavens onto the broken road where Laren stood. Her hair blended with the fallen plumages revolving around her. Her dark silhouette was thin, as though she had the small bones of a bird. Her eyes were glowing red. Not the ruby red of cherries. Nor the powdered red of a newborn's cheeks. No. Her eyes were the ominous red of bloo-'_

"Hey, Rae?"

I tore my eyes away from the page with a sigh. I shot a glare in the direction of the voice. Of course it was only Garfield. I felt my gaze soften slightly when I noticed the innocence of his intrusion.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me Rae," I said as I marked my page and closed the book.

"I thought it was more of a suggestion," he replied.

I was about to retaliate when Kori finally came back with a tray of food and multiple packets of mustard in tow.

"Hello, friends of Rachel. My name is Kori Anderson." Kori spoke hesitantly, her eyes sweeping towards Richard.

The mysterious boy was clearly observing her exotic beauty, even blushing slightly as she smiled at him.

"Hi, my name's Richard." He grinned, confidently offering her his hand. Kori took it before she sat next to him.

"This is Victor, and that's Garfield." He pointed to the two. "It sounds like you already know Rachel."

"Oh, yes!" her smile broadened. "She has helped me most generously today."

"Really?" Victor asked. "Didn't think the little lady liked talking much. But I guess senior year changes people."

"I guess Garfield is making her come out of her shell," Richard smirked.

Something about their tone made me feel a little defensive.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glared.

"Nothin'" Victor responded. "I mean, the two of you were caught in the locker room together…Number one in our class isn't so innocent, is she?"

I could pick up a slight teasing quality in his voice, but that didn't subside the increasing rage developing inside me. Who was he to judge me? He didn't know me at all.

"Just, ease up on Rae." Garfield jumped in, clearly noting the red anger on my face.

"Don't call me Rae," I growled.

"Why not, Rae?"

"Stop it."

 _"_ _Whatever you say, Rae," a green boy with elfish ears smirked at me._

 _"_ _Don't call me that," I warned._

 _"_ _Make me," he challenged._

 _"_ _Maybe I will."_

 _I leaned in closer to him, intent on giving him something to be quiet for. His face flared up, giving his green skin an awkward brownish tint._

"So are you two going to keep lying about being into each other?" Victor interrupted.

I snapped back into reality. I was dangerously close to Garfield. His face was only inches away from mine. His aquamarine eyes were watching me cautiously, as though he didn't want to scare me away. In an instant I pulled back from him, snatching my book back off the table. I had absolutely no clue what had happened in the moments I had spaced out.

I couldn't even concentrate on reading, I was so flustered. Was that a dream or a memory? It seemed so real, almost like I was reliving that moment.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews, you guys!  
I appreciate it very much!  
Since this chapter was shorter than the others,  
I'm going to try to post the next chapter soon.  
=^.^=


	5. The Librarian's Assistant

"Thank you for offering to be a teacher's aid in the library, Rachel," Mrs. Thomson smiled.

"It's really my pleasure," I responded. Being a senior meant I could either choose an athletic class or opt for a teacher's aid for my final year. Despite my average skills at sports, I just lacked a competitive streak. I much preferred to be in a room filled with books, which made the library my perfect choice.

"There is supposed to be another student volunteering here today," she informed me. "He is a freshmen at the community college and he needed some volunteer hours. I believe his name was Rorek. Oh, look. There he is now."

The elderly lady introduced herself to the young man, about nineteen years old. He had striking white blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and pale skin. When he noticed me he grinned. Or at least I assumed he was grinning based on how the corners of his eyes crinkled up. The black scarf he wore over his mouth made it difficult to be certain. He continued listening to Mrs. Thomson's instructions, though I kept catching him glancing it me. I shifted uncomfortably in the desk chair and began updating the pictures of the students in the system.

"Might I ask why a lovely young woman such as yourself would choose to hide herself away in such a dreary place such as a book's prison?"

I shuddered a bit. Was this guy serious?

"It's more of a halfway house," I deadpanned. "For the books, I mean."

The man chuckled, a deep vibrato that started from the diaphragm and worked its way up to bless the world.

"One must be mindful not too lose oneself in the pages of books, lest truly be found in a halfway house."

At his successful attempt to match my wit, my eyes momentarily left the screen.

"Or perhaps find themselves escaping their prison."

"You are an intelligent person," he commented. "Is that how you feel? You are a prisoner?"

I mulled over his question for a short time before answering, "I suppose we all are in a way."

Malchior and I continued a completely lighthearted discussion over imprisonment on earth up until the bell rang. It was finally time for my favorite class of all time: English. Malchior had ended the conversation with sweet words that made me feel both queasy and flattered. He was very smart and charming, but something about him told me to keep my distance. So as I rounded the corner to enter the english room I shoved aside our conversation, deciding it would be better for my sanity to leave what happens in the library in the library.

The room was entirely empty save for the teacher sitting in the front. I smiled at Mrs. Robinson and slipped into the middle seat in the far back.

"Hello, Ms. Roth," the middle-aged woman spoke, setting her book down. "I trust you read all the materials for this advanced class?"  
"Yes, ma'am," I answered. " _Watership Down_ was phenomenal."

"Ah, yes, that one is one of my favorites," she smiled.

The conversation ended when she spotted another student entering. I turned around and saw none other than Garfield Logan sauntering in. The second he noticed me he flashed a mesmerizing smile.

"Cool! We have a class together," he took the seat to my right. He seemed to be genuinely ecstatic about the situation, eyes sparkling, smile broader than ever. He looked at me expectantly. It was then I realized I hadn't said anything yet.

"I must be the luckiest girl in the world," I said sarcastically.

Before he could say anything else, we were both distracted by the lovely voices of Kori and Richard. By the looks of it they were becoming quite chummy. Kori had her hand pressed against his arm as she laughed about something he had said. Not far behind were Victor and Wally. Both renowned athletes were engulfed in a conversation that involved a surplus of sport's lingo. Kori noticed me and smiled so much I thought her face might tear in half.

"Rachel! We have another class together! This is a most joyous day, indeed!" she took the seat in front of me, Richard taking the seat beside her.

"Looks like they wanted all the delinquents to be in one class," Victor joked.

"We'll if it isn't Rae-Rae and the Rapscallions ," an unseen person commented.

"Good one, Terra!" Jinx and Kitten commented in unison.

"Yea, you successfully made us sound like a lame 70s band," I rolled my eyes. "I'm so insulted right now."

The girl narrowed her eyes and sashayed toward my desk. She placed a hand down, coming dangerously close.

"That's funny," she growled. "I thought I heard you say something. I know you wouldn't ever dream of back talking, especially after what happened this morning. You know I could ruin you and your little friends like that."

She snapped her fingers as she stood up.

"Are you threatening us?" Garfield questioned. The blonde turned on her heels, clearly intent on setting him straight, when her expression unexpectedly softened.

"Oh, not you, Cutie," Terra winked. "The witch must've put some sort of spell to make someone as handsome as you be her friend."

"Cutie?" Garfield furrowed his eyebrows like he really couldn't grasp what was going on.

"Okay, class, settle down and pick your seats." Mrs. Robinson interrupted. Kitten was already seated in front of Richard, chatting his ear off while he wore a completely bored/irritated expression. Kori looked just about as angry as I felt about the whole Terra thing. Wally and Jinx were eyeing each other as she stood next to Terra.

"Now, please." she said more sternly. The girls split so that Jinx took the seat in front of Wally, and Terra was in front of Starfire.

"The first task for today is," Mrs. Robinson shuffled through her papers. "A test!…Oh, don't give me those looks. It's over the book you were supposed to read over the Summer…Fine, I will split you up into groups of three. But the test MUST be finished by the end of the period."

She pulled out her role sheet and formed us into groups. Richard, Kori, and Kitten were paired, which was a recipe for disaster. I was unfortunate enough to be with Terra, but Garfield wasn't so bad. Finally, Victor, Wally, and Jinx merged together.

"You got this right, Brainiac?" Terra asked as she pulled out a nail file from her designer bag. I rolled myself and scanned the test. Fifteen questions, plus a short answer question.

"Did you read?" I asked Garfield.

The blank expression he wore told me enough. I sighed and started writing answering the multiple choice first.

"Well, I thought I read it," he said as I jotted down the third answer.

"How could you think you read it?"

C.

"Well, I guess I got the wrong book."

A.

"What do you mean?"

A.

"I checked it out from the library. It was about rabbits."

D.

"The book is about rabbits," I paused. "Wait. Was this book called _Tales from Watership Down_?"

"Um…yea, I think so."

"That's more of a backstory for the book. It provides information about the beliefs of the warren. The book we were supposed to read is just called _Watership Down._ "

I picked up my pencil and began answering again. She really made these questions too easy to be advanced. I was onto the thirteenth question when Garfield spoke again.

"So you've read both of them?"

I finished up the final multiple choice question before responding.

"Yes."

"That's Rachel for you," Terra spoke, a slight edge in her voice. "Always the teacher's pet."

I didn't pay her any mind, but focused on the question.

 **Explain the following quote and how it might pertain to everyday life:** ** _"The rabbits became strange in many ways, different from other rabbits. They knew well enough what was happening. But even to themselves they pretended that all was well, for the food was good, they were protected, they had nothing to fear but the one fear; and that struck here and there, never enough at a time to drive them away. They forgot the ways of wild rabbits. They forgot El-ahrairah, for what use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?"_**

I knew the quote itself was about Fiver realizing the failure behind the structure of Cowslip's warren. Everything was safe, but it came with a cost. In the end, the chances of any of the rabbits he had made the journey with would most likely perish long before their time. They left the warren in search of a better home. I wrote all this down, but didn't understand exactly how it might pertain to everyday life.

"You okay, Rae?" Garfield asked. I slumped my shoulders and gave him an irritated look.

"No. I'm stumped." I admitted.

"What's this? The Brain doesn't have an answer? You couldn't have picked a better time to crash and burn?" Terra seethed.

Garfield looked like he was going to choke on the words inside his mouth. In the end, he swallowed them and focused on me again.

"Let me read what you have?"

I shrugged handing him the paper.

"I think you're overthinking it," he said. "You already have the answer, you just need to reword it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's sorta like how our government is. Even our schools. Or households for some people. We convince ourselves everything's fine. Make up excuses like 'he wears a suit, he knows what he's talking about'. 'The students with the dark clothes are the ones you have to watch'. 'He really does love me. He pays for food, rent, bills.' And overall, 'it'll be okay', cuz we don't wanna deal with what's really happening. But when we finally tell ourselves that it isn't okay, something awesome could happen."

Although he had a few odd selections for vocabulary, he made sense. I smiled at him and gave him as close to a compliment as he would ever get from me.

"Maybe you aren't such an idiot after all," I smirked.

"Thank you-HEY! I'm not an idiot," he huffed.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips. I wrote down his answer, playing with the words a tad, and turned in the paper. Mrs. Robinson gave me a curious glance.

"Finished already? There's still twenty minutes left in class."

"Yes ma'am. I went over them as well."

The woman pushed up her bifocals and skimmed the paper. She unknowingly started nodding, a kind smile developing from her thin lips.

"I see," she nodded. "Very well. The three of you must remain quiet though. You may use your laptops if you remembered to charge them."

She directed the last comment to Garfield who laughed sheepishly. He really was that transparent. Not even the end of the first day and teacher's already knew he was a bit scatterbrained.

The rest of class dragged on more than I expected. I had tried to read, but it was hard to focus with Terra constantly flirting with Garfield over me. I started to get really irritated, but the bell finally rang, freeing me from the uncomfortable situation. I raced out of the classroom and made my way to the detention hall.

"Rachel, wait!" Garfield called after me, shifting through the sea of students eagerly making their way out of the school. I leaned against the wall in an effort to keep from being trampled.

"I figured we could all walk together," he gestured to the three behind him. I shrugged and led the group to the room. It was located in a horrific setting down in the basement. The air was thick and musky. We made it to the door which opened into the detention room, which was vaguely in better condition than the hall that led up to it.

"Isn't there supposed to be a teacher or something down here?" Richard asked.

"I wouldn't be here either if I was in charge. It's a wonder nobody's died down here," Victor grumbled as he sat at one of the desks.

"I heard someone did," Garfield spoke up.

Kori gasped, and Garfield took this as his cue to continue the story in an eerie voice. He winked at me, earning an annoyed look on my behalf, before continuing.

"Way back before the rest of the school was built, this was an underground church. More of a cult really. The few members of this cult would gather every Friday night at exactly three in the morning, doing all these crazy rituals. Well, one day, a new guy showed up from a small village in the woods. No one had heard of it before, no one can remember it now. But they accepted him. He went along with the rituals for almost six months without any problems. Then one day he started spewing out prophecies left and right. The other members began idolizing her in place of their god. Not too long after…BOOM!"

Garfield slammed his fist on the desk, making all of us jump. He cracked a smile.

"He was struck down by lightening in that very spot."

He pointed to my seat.

"You are so full of sh-"

"Don't believe me? Look under the loose board right there."

I rolled my eyes but did as I was told. Sure enough, there was nothing but charred grass beneath the area.

"That doesn't prove-"

Suddenly the door flew open, a thick silhouette stood in the door frame. I sidestepped closer to Garfield, who instinctively took a step in front of me. Richard took similar action in defending Kori, while Victor braced for a fight alone. Garfield started chuckling when the grubby man took a step into the dimly lit room. We all let out a collective sigh. He had red hair in a strange ponytail on top of his head, along with a stubbly beard. More than anything he could hardly be seen as a threat except to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

"You brats stay outta trouble," the man slurred. "An American Ninja Warrior marathon is on today, and I am NOT missing ANY of it. Do I make myself clear?"

We nodded.

"Good. Now, keep it down."

The man backed out of the room, smirking to himself. Once he was a good distance away, Garfield and Victor started laughing. Richard, Kori, and I gave them odd looks. They started to try spewing out an explanation, but all I could make out was "you", "faces", and "hilarious". Victor rubbed the tears falling from the corners of his eyes, while Garfield clutched his stomach.

"You really got them good, dude," he patted Garfield on the shoulder. "They were terrified!"

"I am afraid I do not understand," Kori furrowed her eyebrows. "What is so humorous?"

"Y'all's faces, that's what!" Victor clarified. "Man, Rae, I've never seen ya with an emotion other than annoyance! And Richard, I never thought glasses could stretch WITH the eyes!"

"You didn't look so tough yourself, Vic," Garfield nudged him.

"Watcha talkin' about, little man?" he grinned. "Just cuz I don't got a lady to protect in here, doesn't mean I wasn't ready to fight."

Garfield lifted an eyebrow.

"Both you and Richard got in front of Roth and Anderson in a heartbeat. It was kinda cute, actually."

The two boys' faces flushed, but they remained silent. My own face felt as though it were burning and Kori seemed to share my feelings. Everything pretty much fell silent after that, and we all started working on our own thing. I pulled out my homework. Victor was tampering with his arm, making an ungodly amount of noise. Garfield was munching on some snacks, making an EVEN MORE ungodly amount of noise. Only Kori and Richard tried keeping a conversation going. After a few minutes of this, Richard's phone went off. He pulled out the expensive looking piece of technology and read the notification. It must've been pretty bad based on the way his face twisted up in anger.

"Richard?" Kori looked at him, eyes sparkling with concern. "Is everything alright?"

"You'd think with the trail this guy is leaving they would catch him," he snapped.

"Ya still talkin' about that drug lord?" Victor asked. "It's been two years."

"Slade," Richard nodded. "He's the best of the worst. He's got a trail everywhere, but the cops still don't have a reading on him."

"What's so special about 'em?" Garfield asked. "Aren't there a bunch of dealers out there?"

"Most of those guys aren't known for being serial killers as well," I answered. "You know he's probably not the one in charge though, right?"

"How would you know?" Richard interrogated.

"People like him are just the face of these kinds of things," I said. "There is always someone lurking in the shadows. He's just the one that will take the fall if they get caught."

"Too bad there isn't someone capable of catching any of them," Victor said.

"Not yet," Richard smirked. "We only have one more year."

"Do you really think we could take down a drug lord? We'll only be rookies."

"It is unfortunate we do not harbor supernatural abilities," Kori lifted a finger to stroke her chin. "What would you select, should you be given the choice?"

"Are you talking about superpowers?" Garfield's eyes lit up. "Dude! If I could have any power, I'd wanna be a shapeshifter."

"Be a bunch of stinky animals?" Victor's nose scrunched up.

"No! Animal's are capable of so much more than people think! They've got killer instincts, different lifestyles that help them adapt. They are more than meals, ya know."

It was sweet, in a way, how he let himself speak so passionately about animals. I smiled internally and listened to Victor's superpowers.

"I'd want super-strength," he said. "I'm more than this handicap."

He pointed dramatically at his metal arm.

"I suppose I would wish to have the ability of flight," Kori smiled. "It is okay to have clouds around your head."

"The phrase is actually 'head in the clouds'," I corrected before I could stop myself. Kori smiled gratefully before asking what I would do.

"I guess…" I let my hair fall into my face, hiding myself from the four pairs of eyes that were waiting. "I guess I would want magic. The possibilities are endless. What about you, Richard?"

"I wouldn't want a superpower, exactly," Richard said. "I'd just want to have impeccable leadership skills. Ordinary people are capable of changing the world, too. They just need a good team by their side."

After our deep conversation I felt a great need to take a bath in order to get all the emotions off of me. I had just started the walk home when I heard the loud roar of a motorcycle approaching. I turned just in time to see a green Harley Davidson pulling up beside me. The leather clad rider removed his matching helmet to reveal a mop of blonde hair.

"You drive this?" My eyes widened, a little more than slightly impressed.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Garfield wiggled his brow. "Want a ride?"

"That's okay," I said. "I'm actually just down the street."

"Ya sure? I promise I'm not too crazy of a driver."

My lips threatened to smile, but I forced them down.

"It's fine, really. Thank you, but I'll see you tomorrow."

I started walking away, only to have Garfield call after me once more.

"It's a date!"

I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't and continued walking down my street. In this one day it seemed my entire life had being flipped upside down. My plan to survive High School unnoticed was thrown out the window the minute I started socializing with Garfield. Now, I was forced into not one, but four different friendships. And I still had an entire year ahead of me.

* * *

Just to clarify why I obsessed over Watership Down:  
(For those of you that have not read Watership Down, it is an  
amazing novel, my favorite AP reading book ever. It is entertaining in so many ways, beautifully written, and eye opening. *Sigh*)  
Anyway, the reason I chose it to be the book the students dissect that first day is explained short answer question. In a way, this quote summarizes the chapter of the book that mirrors the Titans situation. "For what use had they for tricks and cunning, living in the enemy's warren and paying his price?" They are living in Mad Mod's world. They all have a slight sense that things are off, but it has not directly affected them yet. They, in a sense, forgot the "ways of wild rabbits".  
I wasn't JUST being nerdy, even though I kinda was at first, then I realized all that described above and it tied things together. So…Yea. Thank you for reading my nerd stuff.

Also, there were a few comments about Raven/Rachel being out of character,  
so I just wanted to clarify that that was actually intentional.  
Raven is limited emotionally in the TT universe because of her powers.  
I wanted to give her a bit more free reign while she was in Mad Mod's world,  
because she still has yet to discover how her emotions impact her.  
Also, it is through her POV so a lot of this is just what is going through her mind, which I assume would be pretty sarcastic  
and maybe even more sentimental/passionate. The way she is actually reacting to each comment is probably with a face like this: ._.  
Anyways, thank you again for each comment though, your advice is always appreciated! 3  
=^.^=


	6. Mae-Eye Be of Service?

You'd think that today would have been the best day ever, it being the last day of d-hall and detention. Well, you thought wrong. This whole day has been from hell. It was only halfway through lunch detention, but I couldn't shake of the weird sense tormenting my body. I had woken up feeling well enough, but once I had dragged myself downstairs to join Nicolette and the demonic trio, I was rammed with intense sensation. They varied in many ways, and I just couldn't get to the bottom of it. Nicolette had insisted I stay home, but of course I refused. It was even more strange that I felt just fine once I had left the house. The solitary walk was like a breath of fresh air. And then I entered the school. I wanted to puke with all the feelings invading my body. The mere thought of food made me feel sick. Now I was watching Victor scarfing down the largest sloppy joe on the face of this earth. That, paired with Kori drinking mustard with a straw, was seriously testing my weak stomach.

"You feeling alright, Rae?" Garfield asked.

"Yea," I mumbled, but I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

"Ya sure?" he tilted his head to peer at my face. "You didn't even yell at me when I called you 'Rae'."

He lifted up my bangs and placed his hand on my forehead. An even greater sense of nausea hit me like a tidal wave.

"I'm fine," I snapped, jerking my head away.

"You're hot," he said, before blushing madly. "I mean, _you_ aren't hot. I-I mean, you kinda are-ugh! You have a fever! "

He was shouting by the end of his rambling and his face was redder than ever. For some reason his animated actions made me feel even worse.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I clutched my stomach. The last thing I remember was the feeling of falling and a pair of arms carrying me.

When I woke up I was in a room of pure white with blue curtains acting as dividers and cold leather underneath me. I groaned a bit as I attempted to prop myself on my elbows. I collapsed in seconds.

"Woah, there," a soothing voice spoke. "You need to rest now, dear. Mai says so."

I turned to see an elderly woman, plump with gray hair neatly tucked into a bun underneath a nurse's cap.

"Oh, I bet you're wondering how you got here. Well, you took quite a fall back in the cafeteria earlier, probably didn't eat enough, you look so thin. But you're friend-what was his name?-Oh, yes, Garry. He brought carried you all the way here. Poor thing looked worse than you did."

"Garfield brought me here?" my voice sounded hoarse.

"Oh, was that his name? I must be getting forgetful, you know. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. So many children come and go. It's so hard to keep up."  
"Do you happen to know what class we are in?" I asked.

"I believe there are a few minutes remaining in seventh period. Are you certain you do not want to rest a little more?"

"No," I smiled as I swung my legs off the edge of the bed and sat up. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you."

"Alright, dearie," Nurse Mai (May-Eye) said. "But please take this."

She handed me a mini pie and a juice box from her mini fridge.

"If you're blood sugar gets any lower, you'll become one of my regulars."

I thanked her for the treat and took a bite to show I understood. The dessert was actually quite tasty. I ended up devouring it before I made it to the library.

"There is the Raven," Malchior said as I entered the large double doors.

"What did you call me?" I gave him a quizzical look.

"I think it suits you," he explained. "Many young people mistake the creature as a bad omen simply due to it's dark feathers. In truth, however, many cultures consider the raven to be a blessing."

"Me? A blessing?" I scoffed.

"You do brighten the room with your presence alone."

"Um," I blushed. "I'm flattered, but-"

"Oh, how dreadful of me. Of course a lovely creature such as yourself would not be without a partner. Pray tell, who is the lucky man?"  
"I was actually going to say 'I'm flattered, but we should probably get to work'," I replied. "There's still a few books left on the shelving rack."

Malchior blinked, clearly stunned at this turn of events, but not exactly hating it either.

"So there is no significant other in your midst?"

"Not exactly," I said as I rolled the cart over to the first shelf.

"You are…interested in someone, then?"

"I'm too busy to be thinking about that sort of thing," I said, a little too harshly. I didn't mean to be rude, but all these questions were making me feel sick again. The only real blessing in this world was when the bell finally rang and I was able to flee without more awkward conversations.

At the end of class, Mrs. Robinson asked me to stay a few minutes after. Terra whispered something to Kitten and Jinx, which they laughed their heads off about, and in an instant she was chasing after Garfield.

"I wanted to discuss the possibility of you joining the journalism club this year, Ms. Roth. I read you're short answer, and it left quite an impression. You'd be a lovely addition to the staff."

"I…" I paused. "Thank you for the offer, I truly appreciate it. But with all the advanced courses and extra college classes…I'm just not sure I will have the time."

"I understand," she smiled. "Feel free to write up anything for submission in the school paper. The door will always be open for you should you find something that peaks your interest."

"Thank you," I nodded. Being a part of the staff had actually been something I had always wanted. Ever since I was a freshmen, I loved writing. I told myself every day for the first two weeks of school I would join the club. Then I found out Adonis was in the mix. He was always hitting on me. A senior trying to pick up a freshmen. At first I was a bit flattered, but that quickly changed. By quickly I mean one minute of conversation made me realize how much of a creep he was. I told myself I would join next year when he graduated. Even after that, though, I found myself creating excuses for not joining the club. Now, here I was with an open invitation, and I was still making excuses.

I opened the door to the detention room. Kori bounded out of her seat and embraced me.

"Oh, friend!" she frowned. "You are not in some sort of trouble, are you? I would hate to see you being punished more so than we have been now."

I patted her on the back in hopes to end the hug.

"It's fine, Kori." I reassured her. "It wasn't a big deal. She just wanted to talk to me about joining a club."

Kori lightened her grip on me and stepped back.

"Please, what is a club?"

"It's a group of people that share an interest in a certain subject," I explained, sitting down in my chair. Kori's mouth formed in an 'O' as she sat in the desk in front of me.

"So are you gonna be like some big time journalist now?" Victor asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I didn't join," I said, then added, "I don't have enough time."

The group nodded, and we fell back into our normal routine. Richard and Kori were flirting at the front. Victor brought even more junk-which he insisted wasn't junk, though it clearly was-from home to tamper with his arm. I turned to see if Garfield was eating or sleeping today; it turns out it was none of the above. He was working on some sort of art project. Our gazes met. I tried to act like I was stretching and not checking up on him, but the damage had already been done. Here we go with all the talking again.

"Why didn't you go home? You literally passed out, but you're still here!"

"I'm fine, Garfield."

"Passing out is not something people that are 'fine' do," he moved a seat closer to me, discarding his work. "Did they figure out what was wrong?"

I shrugged. Garfield leaned in his seat so that he was practically in the aisle instead of the chair. The grip I had on my book tightened as the now familiar searing sensation started in my gut and worked its way up to my chest.

"Maybe you should see a doctor?"

"Maybe you should keep your emotions to yourself," I snarled.

"Maybe you should try opening up something other than your books!" he retaliated.

I clenched my jaw to keep my tongue from lashing out in a very unladylike way. It was then I noticed how eerily quiet it had become.

Kori and Richard had stopped talking and were now watching us with shared expression of concern. Garfield lowered his gaze as he pivoted to face Victor, who was now acting completely engrossed in tinkering with his arm. I tried to ignore the mix of hurt and guilt engulfing me by reading the remnants of the chapter I had been on for the past four days.

 _'_ _The mist settled over the bare mountains. The two warriors were posed on either side of the moor, poised to engage in battle. Lana raised her sword. The jeweled hilt gleamed in the moonlight._

 _"_ _No matter what good you do in the world, you will always be unwanted. As a mere babe you were destined to terrorize the living."_

 _Her enemy's words raced through her mind, igniting a fire swelling deep within her soul. Her father's followers had been untaught in the ways of society. They were scavengers. They took what they pleased as they saw fit. Often they were mistaken as thieves and murderers. Once he had taken reign as their prime god, the Crow Clan's days of ridicule ended with the final breath of the last member of their clan._

 _A sad smile appeared on her face. Her father thrived from violence. Acting on rage had been the downfall of his children, a curse for their mortal mother to live with. She needed to win this village over in order to defeat her father. She need not aid in the destruction of yet another tribe based on her own pride._

 _Her sword released a gentle sigh as it returned to its casing. And so the alliance began.'_

If you were wondering, the story within the story is

something that I have been writing since forever.

That is my original work, so if it's poop..I'm sorry.

I am also very sorry for the super long wait!

I, um…well, I started college! Time isn't exactly in abundance,

so I've been trying to find time here and there to write up a bit.

I have the beginning of the next chapter written up, but I'm trying to find what direction I want to take the story before I post it.

Something about me: I don't start things without finishing them.

Even if it takes a while, this story will be complete!

Please bear with me!

Thank you for the comments and patience!

Luv ya!

=^.^=


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